Train control and signal system.



J. T. THOMPSON. TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5,1913. 1 1 9%,, Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J, T. THOMPSON. TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5,1913 L1 739% I Patented Feb.9,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jza 2. /2207" (1077? as I j/wm is 0 77/ 3,5

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. T. THOMPSON.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5,1913.

TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM.

J. T; THOMPSON. TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 5,1913.

LWKQMQ, Patented. Feb. 9, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. an r JAMES T.) THOMPSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

i TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 5, 1913. Serial No. 746,285.

trical signal or control for railway trains,

constructed and arranged by the use of suitable electrical circuits on the track and locom0ti\'e or train to indicate to the engineer, as

by a suitable signal in the cab. when the train is on an unsafe or prohibited block or part of the track, or to arrest or modify the movement of the train at such time.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a valve device which is adapted to' be correlated to the engine and tender brake equipment, (commonly known in the art as the E. T. equipment) and so arranged that when" the controlling or stopping mechanism is set in operation it first operates to set the brakes on the locomotive and tender, and thereafter operates to set the brakes on thetrain. The said valve and its equip- 1 ment are so constructed and combined with the usual E. T. equipmentas not to interfere in any way with the engineers automatic and independent valves of the latter equipment to effect the service and emergencv stops. v

Other obiects of the invention are to impro e and simplify the construction and ope ation of signal or control systems of this character. and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and more particularly ment. showing mv invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuits on the track and train for controlling the signaling and control-- ling mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating a protective device for the loop which bridges around the insulating secv tions of the track. Fig. 3 illustrates the tram stopping and signaling mechanism in vertical section, with operative parts in elevation. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 illustrates the train stopping and signaling mechanism, showing parts in section and other parts in elevation. Fig. 6 illustrates a reversing switch embracing part of mv improved construction. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a sectional View on the line 88 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 1s a fragmentary detail illustrating the gear elements for reversing the controlling circuit of the train stopping and signaling mechanisms. Fig. 10 is a detail illustrating a binding post-,and terminal constitutlng part of the circuit reversing switch.

As shown in the drawings, and referring more especially to Fig. 1, 10 designates the eng neers automat'c train valve and 11 the engineers lndependent valve associated with Elle usual E. T. equipment, before referred 12 designates the train line brake pipe and 13 the brake cylinder pipe for the drivers of theengme and the wheels of the tender, 1% designating the brake cylinders for the drivers of t e engine and 15 designating the brake cy indersfor the tender.

Only such parts of the E. T. equipment are hereinafter described as are necessary to understand the adaptation of my invention thereto.

16 designates a duplex gage connected at one side by the pipe 17 to the main reservoir pipe 18, which latter connects the reservoir 20 to the engineers automatic valve 10. The other side of the gage 16 is connected by the pipe 21 with the equalizing reservoir 22.

23 designates a second duplex gage which is connected at one side by the pipe 2a to a pipe 25 which connects the train pipe to the automatic valve 10. The other side of said gage 23 is connected by the pipe 27 to the brake cylinder pipe 13.

30 designates the usual distribut ng valve of the E. T. equipment which is operatively arranged between the independent and the automatic valves. It is connected on one side-byjthe pipe 31 to the brake pipe 12', and by the pipe 32 to the'brake cylinder pipe 13. The distributing valve is connected at its Patented Feb. 9, 1915.,

othersi'de by the distributing valve release valve and with the main reservoir and the train brake pipes, in such a way as tobe operated by means set in motion upon the entrance of a train into a prohibited block, or other emergency point, so as to eifect the release of air from the train brake pipes to set the train brakes, and to operate upon the distributing valve to connect the main reservoir pipe with the brake cylinder pipe to set the engine and tender brakes by straight air. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention designates, as a whole, said improved valve device, shown in operative position in Fig. 1 and in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The valve device comprises a casing 41, (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) formed between its ends with a diaphragm 42 to provide in the casing a low pressure. cylinder 43 and a high pressure cylinder 44.

45, 46 designates low and high pressure piston valves, respectively, which are fitted in the cylinders 43, 44 and said piston valves are fixed to a common piston rod 48 which extends through suitable stufiing boxes in the partition 42 and the end wall 49 of the cylinder 44. The end wall 50 of the cylinder 43 is provided with an opening 51 which connects with a pipe 52 that is connected to the reducing valve pipe 38 of the equipment. The said cylinder 43is provided with an outlet opening 53 formed, as here shown, in one of the supporting extensions of the cylinder, and said outlet opening is connected, through the pipe 55, to the application cylinder pipe 34. The cylinder44is provided with an inlet opening 58 (shown as formed in the supporting extension 59 of the cylinder) and said inlet opening 58 is connected by a pipe 60 to the branch 25 of the train brake pipe. The cylinder 44 is further provided with a release opening 60 to which is connected the vent pipe 61 which may terminate in a whistle 62 or other alarm device.

65 designates a cushioning spring which surrounds the piston rod 48 between a collar thereon adjacent to the low pressure piston valve 45 and the :diaphragm 42 so as to avo d too ab upt operationof the parts,

as will hereinafter appear.

Thepiston valvesare locked in their normal, inoperative positions, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of a locking lever 67, shown as of general L-shape. It is pivoted at 68 to lugs depending from a support 69 of the casing 70 which incloses the mechanism.

The lower end of the lever bears against the end of the piston rod 48 which extends through the end of the high pressure cylinder 44. The other end of the lever carries an armature 72 which coiiperates with the pole piece of an electro-magnet 73 within the casing 70. Said electro-magnet 73 is included in a normally closed circuit hereinafter to be described. \Vhen the magnet 73 of the normally closed operating circuit in which the magnet 73 is included, and the consequent release of the lever 67, the pressure acting against the piston valves moves them endwise in their cylinders across the outlet openings 53 and 60. In the latter position of the parts the pressure of the reducing valve pipe is transferred through the pipe 55 to the application cylinder pipe 34. and thence to the distributing valve, wherein it acts to connect the reducing valve -pipe with the brake cylinder pipe in the same way that such connection would be aflected by the manual operation of the engineers independent valve 11. Likewise upon the shifting of the piston valve 46 the pressure is released from thcliigh pressure cvlinder 4-4 through the release pipe 61, thus affording the required reduction of the pressure in the train brake pipe to automatically apply the train brakes. In order that the automatic application of the train brakes may be effected after the application of the engine and tender b"akes, to follow the sequence of the usual E. T. equipment, the exit or outlet opening 60 of the high pressure cylinder 44 is so spaced from the normal or inoperative position of the high pressure piston valve 46 that said outlet opening 60 is not uncovered, until after the piston valve 45 has uncovered the outlet passage 53 of the low pressure cylinder.

The spring 65 prevents the piston valves" from being brought up against a stop by sudden impact.

'After the apparatus thus described has been released to set the brakes in operation the holdin latch or lever 67 mav be returned to its locking positionby means of with an inner end member 77 adapted to engage the heel of the lever 67, as best shown in Fig. 3. The said lever 75 may be locked in a position to hold the lever (57 from operation by means of a pin 78, which may extend through an opening in the leveiuand registering openings in segments 79 fixed to the casing 70. V

The electro-magnet 73 is included in a circuit which is normally closed through the track rail 0 as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The said circuit also includes a battery or generator 80, one side of which may be connccted, as by the wire 81 and branches 82, 82 to the axles of one of the front truck wheels 83 and one of the tender wheels 8 1. The other side of the battery or generator is connected through the electro-magnet 73 by the wire 83 to the brush or shoe 86 which travels on the track rail a on the side of the track on which the Wheels 83, 84 travel.

7 When said wheels 83, 8% are running on electrically continuous rails, orrails that are bonded together, the battery 80 and the electro-magnet 73 are included in a circuit which is maintained closed through the wheels and brush and the intervening portions of the track rails. The circuit described constitutes a partial train-carried or controlling circuit which is completed through the track rails and which moves with the train; and an interruption of said circuit has the effect to deenergize the magnet 73 and to thereby release the lever 67 and permit the valve pistons to be displaced to set the E. T. brake equipment in operation.

In Fig. 2 is shown a section of a track embracing one complete signal block A of a double track arrangement. and the ends of two adiacent blocks, B, C. The blocks are all eouipped with a familiar form of signal apparatus in which is employed at or near the far end of each block a battery 90 that is bridged across the track rails and which controls a track relay magnet 92 that is bridged across the track rails near the entering end of the block. The track rails a. adiacent to the far end of the block is pro ided. as herein shown, with two track sections 94-, 95 which are insulated from each other and fromthe regular track rails. Bond wires 96 extend around said insulated sections to maintain electrical continuity of the regular track rails of each block. In order to prevent the insulated railsections being removed without this fact being electrically indicated in the signal system. I propose to loop the intermediate parts of the bond wires 96 through holes in certain of the bolts 97 that fasten the fish plates to the insulated and regular track rail sections, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 2. The

bond. wires 96 are threaded through saidopenings in the bolts 97 just outside of the nuts 98, when the nuts' are tightened. Therefore, if an attempt be made to remove an insulated rail section the nuts will part the wire, with the result of opening the normally closed circuit of the battery 90, with the same effect as though a train Were on the block thus affected.

The insulated rail sections 94-, 95 are of such length and are so related to the distances apart of the brush 86 and the wheels 83, 84 that, when the locomotive or other part of the train carrying the brush and said wheels is passing over the part ofthe track containin said insulated rail sections, an insulating oint between the rail secticns, or between one of them and the regular track rails, will be between said shoe and one of the wheels 83, 81, so that if, at thistime, the said rail sections are electrically disconnected, the normally closed partial train-carried controlling circuit is opened to thereby dee'nergize the magnet 73 and permit the automatic valve device to operate. Means are provided to normally electrically connect the insulated rail sections in such a way that the insulated joints between them does not have the effect to open the controlling circuit. As herein shown, this is effected as follows: The said insulated rail sections 94, are

normally maintained electrically connected" through a loop part-circuit comprising wires 100, 101 that are connected to said rail sections and to the two points of a four point terminal of a switch 102. Said two points of the terminal. are normally bridged by a bridge piece 103 or contact carried by a pivoted relay armature 101 under the influence of the track relay 92. When, therefore, the bridge piece 103 is held up against the two points of the terminal and the Wheels 83, 8t and the brush are passing over the insulated rail sections, the circuit will be maintained closed through said closed loop part-circuit, said brush and one of the branches 82 of the wire 81 of one side of the train-carried controlling circuit. When the track relay 92 is deenergized, however, as occurs when a train is in a prohibited block, or by reason of other prescribed operative conditions, the relay armature lever 10 1 is swung away from the trol or stopping mechanism is adapted to be set in operation. As herein shown said signal device or devices are controlled by an electrical circuit that is adapted to be closed or opened by the interposition in the track rail b of other insulated rail sections 112, 113 which are located in the track a suitable distance in rear of the insulated rail sections 94, 95, and at the other side of the track. The insulated rail sections 112, 113 are included in a loop part-circuit connected by the wires 115, 116 to two switch points or terminals of the switch 102, which latter switch points are adapted to be bridged by a bridge piece 117 carried by the swinging armature lever 104. The said signal devices 110, 111 are included in a normally open circuit, which also includes a battery 120, and terminals 121, 121, the circuit being normally open at said terminals. Said normally open circuit is controlled by a normally closed circuit which includes also said battery 120, and an electric magnet 123 and wires 1'24, 125 which connect the opposite sides of the battery with a shoe or brush 126, and one of wheels 127 of the locomotive or other part of the train that travels on the track rail 6. \Vhen, therefore, the wheel 127 and the shoe 126 travel across a. joint between the insulated rail sections 112, 113 at a time when the looped part-circuit is open at the switch 102, the said normally closed signal control circuit is opened and allows an armature lever 130, pivoted at 131, and normally held up to the magnet 123 through the coaction 0 its armature 132, to drop away from said magnet, either by gravity or under influence of the spring 132. The pole piece of the lever 130 carries knife-edged terminals 133, 133 which drop into the notch terminals 121 above referred to, to thereby close the normally open signal circuit and to either light the lamp or sound the hell, or both. The said signal controlling lever 130 may be restored to its inoperative position by the member 77 of the restoring lever 75, before referred to, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The insulated rail sections 112, 113 which "control the signaling mechanism described are placed in each block a distance in advance-of the rail sections 94, 95 which control the train stopping mechanism, so as to thereby give the engineer warning in advanceof the approach of the. train to the prohibited block of danger or caution conditions in the block ahead. Therefore, upon receiving said danger signal the engineer may take control of the trainthrough the usual mechanism provided for stopping it or for slowing the train. If, however, the signal is not observed or is ignored, the passage of the train across the open insulated rail sections 94, 95 automatically sets the train stopping mechanism in operation to modify or arrest the movement of the train. By providing the release pipe 61 with a restricted opening, the train may be gradually arrested by reason of gradual release of pressure in the train pipe.

It will be understood that the brushes 86, 126 and the wheels 83, 84 and 127, to which are connected the various circuit wires included in the train control and signal circuits, respectively, may be separately insulated in any suitable manner from other parts of the engine and tender wheels, so as to thereby prescribe the paths for the current through said circuits.

In order to avoid the contingency of short circuitirg the controlling circuits of the magnets 73 and 123, I may provide said circuits with resistance coils 135, 136 l cated at the brushes 86. and 126. and provide the circuits at the magnets 73, 123 with fuses 137 and 138, respectively. Thus, in case either controlling circuit be short circuited between said resistances and fuses the overload on the fuses will open the circuits without injury to the magnets and conductor wires, and with the same results as tothe signaling or stopping function thereof as though the circuits were opened under the usual or predetermined conditions.

140 designates a speedometer located in the motor cab. Its operating shaft is con nected by a flexible shaft 141 and gears 14-3,

143 with'the axle of one of the locomotive wheels 144. The indicating hand 115 of the speedometer is provided with a transverse resilient contact member 146 having platinum points adapted to pass in wiping co 1- tact under terminal plates 147, 148 which are connected to wires 149, 150 included in a shunt or branch circuit of the main controlling circuit of the stopping device. The said shunt circuit is normally open between the terminals 147, 148, the contact member 146 lying, when -the indicating hand 145 is at its zero .point, wholly under the terminal 148. After the hand has moved outwardly away from its zero position to indicate the speed of the train the said resilient contact member 146 bridges between the terminal plates 147, 148 so as to close the shunt circuit and shunt the battery through the said contact plates. The shunt circuit thus established includes the magnet 73 and therefore maintains a closed circuit thro'igh the magnet to hold up the armature le so 67. At this time the controlling circuit is not aifectedby a break in the circuit between the brush 86 and the contact wheels 83, St. The shunt circuit is thus closed when the indicatinghand of the speedometer indicates a moderate speed at which the engineer may safely handle the train under discretionary caution. For instance. the bridge plate may bridge the terminals during the time the indicating hand indicates the speed of from a fraction of a mile per hour to six or eight miles per hour. After the indicating hand passes a point on the dial which indicates the selected minimum speed of the train under non-automatic control conditions, the spring terminal passes out of contact with the terminal plate 118 and switches the shunt circuit out of commission and the controlling circuit into commission.

In connection with a system embracing a signal mechanism to be set in operation in advance of the actuation of the train control mechanism under like or equivalent conditions as herein set forth, it becomes desirable, when a shuttle train is backing up in the direction of traflic, to reverse the electrical circuits which control the signal and control mechanisms in such a way that insulated rail sections which control the train stopping device, when the train is running in one direction, shall control the signal device when the train is backing in the direction of trafiic, and to likewise change the sequence of operation of the control mechanism. I have herein shown means for automatically effecting this result controlled from the movement of one of the axles of the locomotive or train.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9, 160 designates a flexible shaft which is connected by gears 161, 162 to the axle 163 of one of the locomotive or train wheels. Said shaft 160 carries at its upper end a beveled gear 165 mounted in suitable bearings 165 carried by a plate 166 supported within the casing 70. Said beveled gear 165 meshes with a beveled gear 168 fixed to a shaft 169 mounted also in said plate 166. Said shaft 169 carries a pinion 170.

172 designates a disk arranged parallel to the plate 166 and said disk carries switch terminals adapted to reverse the train stopping and signal control circuits. Said plate 166 carries a stud 173 on which said disk172 is rotatably mounted. The disk-is provided around a portion of its periphery with a series of teeth 175 adapted to mesh with the teeth of the pinion 170. Said series of teeth extend about half way around the disk. The pinion 170 is rotated continuously in one or the other direction, it being rotated continuously in one direction when the train is proceeding ahead and being reversed and rotated in the other direction when the train is running backwardly in the direction of trafl'ic.

The rotation of the toothed disk 172 is ar-.

rested by a stop lug 176 extending inwardly from the plate 166 and adapted to engage shoulders 177 at the ends of the series of teeth 175, as indicated in Fig. 9, when the pinion has rotated the disk to bring one of the shoulders 177 against the stop lug 176. The said disk will be prevented from returning as long as the pinion is rotated in the same direction as when moving the disk to the latter position. When, however, the direction of rotation of the pinion is reversed, the teeth of the pinion take up the teeth of the disk and rotate the disk a half rotation in the other direction until arrested by engagement of its other shoulder 177 with the stop lug 176. In order that the teeth of the disk will reliably engage the said pinion upon the reversal of the rotation of the latter, the said stop lug is provided at its opposite sides with springs 179 which act, with a moderate force, to tend to force the shoulders of the disk away therefrom so as to keep the teeth of the disk at the end of the series in position to engage the pinion upon the-reversal of the rotation of the latter. The operating shaft 160 will be driven at a moderate speed, .so that the pinion 170 will rotate slowly. Other means, however, may be provided for reversing the said disk to reverse the circuit, as, for instance, a friction slip connection between the shaft 169 and the pinion 170.

The switch connection which I have herein shown for reversing the circuit, and which is controlled by the devices last described, is made as follows: The disk 172 is provided on its outer face with two pairs of are shaped terminals 182, 183, 184, 185 arranged concentric to the axis of the disk, with the terminals 182, 183 formed on equal radii, and with the terminals 18 185 formed on shorter, common radii. 186, 187 designate binding posts which extend through the disk 172 and which are attached respectively to the terminals 182, 184 on the disk for connection with the wires of the controlling circuit for the train stopping device. These terminals 182, 181 are adapted for wiping engagement with curved terminals 190 attached to binding posts 191, 192 carried by the plate 166 and adapted for connection to a pair of wires connected to one set of the track engaging contacts. The terminals 183, 185 of the disk are likewise connected to binding posts 194, 195, included in the controlling circuit for the signal mechanism, and said terminalsiare adapted for wiping engagement with terminalplates of binding posts 196, 197 adapted for con nect one set of contact wheels and brushes from one of the automatically controlled mechanisms and connect the other mechanism thereto and vice versa.

I claim as my invention 1. A train control system comprising two sets of brake equipments, having independ ent manual means to operate them, combined with a valve device connected to said equipments and controlling means for said valve device, independent of said manual means: constructed to operate said. equipments inia predetermined!sequence. v

2. In a tra-imcontrolsystem, a. train brake equipment, and engine and tender brake equipment, combined with avalve device having independent air connections to said train brake and! said engine and tender brake equipments, with automatic means to operate the engineand tender brake equipment: prior to. the operation of: the train ora-leeequipment, and means: for operating the valve device;

3:. A railway traincontrol systemembracing atrain brake equipment and an engine and tender ,brakeequipment, with independ ent manual means to operate them, combined' with a valve device connected to the train and to the engine and tender equipment: embracing means-to operate the en gine and tender brake equipment prior to the operation of the train brake equipment and means for operating the-valve device.

4'. A; railway train control system comprising at'rain brake: equipment and an em gine and tender bra-he equipment, with independent ma'nualfmeans for operating them, combined wit'h automatic means for operating the brak esindependent of the manual means, said automatic means com prising-- valves, one for controlling the release=of pressure from: the train pipe and the other for: controlling theadmission of pressure tothe brake cylinders of the engine' and tender equipment; locking means for the valves and means for: releasing the locking means.

5.- A railway train= control system embrac ing a train brake-equipment and an engine and tender brakeequipment', With-ind'epend ent manualmeans-for operating them, a release valve for controlling the release of pressure from the train b'raltepipe, a: pipe connected with a source supplying pressure, adistributing valve, an' application cylinder pipe connected to the distributing valve, a valve for controlling the passage of air from the pressure pipeto; the application cylinder pipe; means for'locking the latter valve and the" release valve and means for I releasing saidlocking means:

6. In acombined train; and engineaandtend-er- Brake equipment; the.=- combination with an air release'pipe connected to" are train brake pipe, a pressure pipe connected to a source supp-lying pressure, a brake a-p plication pipe and a distributing valve connected thereto and to the brake cylinders of the engine and tender, of a valve device for controlling the air release pipe and for controlling communication between the pressure pipe and the application cylinder pipe, with means to operate the valve device.

7. In a combined train and engine-andtender brake equipment, the combination with a release pipe connected to the train brake pipe, a pressure pipe connected to a source supplying pressure, a brake application pipe and a distributing valve connected thereto and to the brake cylinders of the engine and tender, of a valve device comprising ahigh pressure chamber connected to the release pipe and 'provided with a release opening, a low pressure chamber connecting the pressure pipe to the application cylinder pipe, valves in said chambers connected to operate together, one for controlling said release pipe and the other-controlling communication between the pressure pipe and the application cylinder pipe, locking means for the valves and means for re leasing the locking means.

8. In a combined? train and engine-andtender brake equipment, the combination with a release pipe connected to the train brake pipe, a pressure pipe connected to a source supplying pressure, an application cylinder pipe and a distributing valve connected thereto and to the brake cylinders of the engine and tender, of a valve device comprising a high pressure chamber connected to the release pipe and provided with a valve member to govern the same, and a low pressure chamber having a valve member therein, a stem connecting said valves, and extending through one end of the chamber, sa-id"pressure pipe leading into said low pressure chamber, and the application cylinder pipe leading therefrom and normally separated from the" pressure pipe by the valve member't'herein, alock lever engaging the outer end-of'said valve stem and means acting on the lever to normally hold the valves in locked position, with means for releasing the lockingmeans.

9. In a train control system, atrain brake equipment and engine and tender brake equipment, combined with twin, sequentially' operating valvedevices normally subject to the braking pressure of the two equipments, with means for locking the valves against said pressure and means for releasing said locking means to permit the valves to operate in sequence.

10. In a train control system, a train brake equipment, and engine and tender brake equi pment; combined with a valve d evi'ce for operating said equipments, comprising a high pressure cylinder connected to the train nmmaa v brake pipe and to a release pipe, and a low In testimony, that l claim the foregoing pressure cylinder connected to the brake as my invention 1 afiix my signature in the 10 cylinder of the engine and tender equipment presence of two Witnesses, this 31st day of and to a source supplying direct air, and January, A, D. 1913.

valves in said cylinders, with automatically JAMES T. THOMPSUN. actuated controlling means therefor ar- Witnesses: ranged to permit said valves to operate in a G. E. DoWLE,

predetermined sequence. W. L. HALL. 

